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J. W. DOOLEY. ELECTRIC SHIP SIGNAL.

No. 378,876. Patented Mar 6, 1888.

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U IT D STATES PATENT Orricst JOHN W. DOOLEY, OF WYOMING, ILLINOIS.

ELECTRIC SHIP-SIGNAL.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 378,876, dated March 6, 1888.

Application filed December 31, 1887. Serial No. 259,509.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, J OHN W. DOOLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at WVyoming, in the county of Stark and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Iniprovements in Electric Ship-Signals; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters and figures of reference marked tl1ereon,which form a part of this specification.

The special object of my invention is to combine an electric dangersignal with the hulls of vessels, so that the pilot or party who steers may be automatically notified of icebergs or other obstructions in time to properly avoid them.

Figure 1 of the drawings is aplan view, and Fig. 2 a median longitudinal vertical section.

In the drawings, A represents the hull of a ship, B B poles projecting from and in front of said hull, and O Oelectric wires extending from a galvanic battery, I), situated near the front of the boat. The wires O 0 run out together as far ahead of the hull A as the distance necessary to travel before the direction of the vessel can be changed by the steerer after he has received a signal.

From the point 0, where they are prevented from spreading apart by a suitable insulatorfastening, they separate, one going to the front end of each pole B, where it is fastened to an insulator. Thence the Wires pass rearwardly to the outer ends of two laterally-projecting bars, E, where they are secured by insulatorfastenings. From thence they pass into the room of the pilot or steerer, where the ends are wrapped around a soft-iron bar, so as to form a magnet, F,which is intended to attract a piece of steel, G, on the. alarm-bell H, the said steel being attached thereto by means of a spring, I.

(No model.)

G is a Windlass, from which passes the cable J over a pulley, K, placed as high as possible on the foremost mast L, to the middle of a spacer, M, between the two polesB B. By this means the poles B maybe raised when not in use by the Windlass G, the latter being held by a pawl and ratchet in the usual way. If desired, the poles B may be jointed, and a heavy chain may be run out from the prow of the vessel to either pole. I may also use strong springs on the sustaining rods or chains.

' The poles themselves may be made of wood or metal, the latter being solid or tubular and in one or more pieces. The polesBare secured at their rear ends in the cast-iron sockets N, which turn on metallic shafts 0, made about two inches in diameter and extending from the hull.

The operation is as follows: When that part of the electric wires farthest from and in front of the hull is struck by an iceberg or other obstruction, the circuit is broken, the magnet ceases to attract the steel, and the spring carries the latter against the bell, so as to give the alarm to the pilot or steerer.

I am aware that it is not new to connect the front of a train of cars with a selfacting electro-magnetic engine, so as to convey back signals which will enable the engineer to stop the train before the point of danger is reached; but

\Vhat I claim as new, and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is

Thecombination,with aships hull, galvanic battery, and electric wires, substantially as described, of the front poles, B B, having sockets K, turning on shafts L and provided with mechanism G H I J, asand for thepurpose set forth.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in 

